Pressing-machine.



H. H. BURNS.

PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1909.

Patented Apr. 9,- 1912.

-3.SEEBTSSHEET l.

-fn we? f r i will/III! W- .WW

H. H. BURNS.

PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 18, 1909.

Patented Apr..9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

V 192 727. 602" JZBV) .s 1

W? masses H. H. BURNS. v PRESSING MAGHINB.

APPLICATION FILED IEB.18, 1909.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3'.

[n 7 7672 for Hen 2 fl Ear]? S 1 6 all whom'it may concern:

the construction thereof, in the peculiar ar- UNITED STATES PATENT 0111 1011 i s or swim GREEK, meme nssrcnon, BY mnsnn ASSIGNMENTS,

:TO '1'. 1). .mnmnn, or smacusn, NEW YORK.

HENRY H. onus,

' v :ennssmq-mncmn.

Be it known that I, :HENRY-H. -BURNS, a' citizen of the United States of America, residingat Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and .useful Improvements in Pressing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had there' in to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates particularly to a garment pressing machine, and consists in rangement and combination of its parts, and 1n various detalls of constructlon, as

will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the draWings,Figure 1 is a side view I of the machine,,showing theupper part in elevation and the lower portion in verti cal section; Fig. 2 is a rear elevatlon; F1g. 3 1s a view, partly in section and in elevation, of

the lower front portion ofthe machine,

' illustrating the adjusting mechanism for view of one of the locking dogs; 9 is a the buckboard and the locking means for the supplemental table; Fig. 1 is an en larged detached view of the buckboard, partly in s.ection; Fig. 5 is a similar view of the presser-head; Fig. 6 is a cross section through the head; Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view, partly broken away, of the presser head; Fig. 8 is a detached perspective detail sectional view, illustrating the pipe connection to the presser head; Fig. -10 1s a view in plan of a portion-of the presser head; and Fig. 11 is .a plan view of the supplemental board and buckboard.

In its preferred form, the garment pressing machine comprises a hollow standard 1,;

preferably cylindrical in form and adapted to contain the major portion of the operatng parts of the machine. The lower end of the standard is flared outwardly. to form a base section2. The upperend is s1mi larly flared, as'at 3, to constitute asupport for the main table or top 4. The numeral 5 represents the buckboard of usual form, and 6 is a hollowhorn constituting its support, which in turnis mounted upon the top 1,v preferably for vertical adjustment, as will be hereinafter set forth.

To the rear of the standard and bolted thereto 'is a forked arm 7 extending above the-top 4' and at a considerable distanceto PatentedApr.9, 1912. Application and February 18, 1909. Serial No. 478,673.-

upon the forked arm 7 for rocking movement into and out of contact with the buckboard 5.. v

The operating mechanism for the head comprises a main operating lever 9, in the form of ai bell-crank, fulcrumed upon a supporting plate 10 mounted within the base section of the standard and suitably bolted thereto. One arm 11 of the bell crank projects through 'a slot 12 in the base portion of the standard forwardly of the latter at a suificient distance therefrom to be conveniently operated by the foot 'of the user. The complementary arm 13 projects upwardly a considerable distance within the standard, and is purposely'enlarged so that in the operation of the machine it will assist in counterbalancing weightof the presser head.

14 is a toggle lever, the'members 15 and 16 of wh1ch. are respectively pivoted to arearward extension 17 of the tubular member 40 and to the base section of the standard.

18 is a connection between the toggle' a iid the upper end of-the arm 13 of the bell crank.

Upon the rocking" of the bell crank lever the toggle is straightened suificiently to throw the presser head into engagement with the buckboard, and the return of the head to its inoperative position upon the releasing of the lever is automatically ef 'fected by a splral compression sprin 19 interposed between the arm' 13 oft e bell crank lever and the front wall of the standard andfsuitably connected to each. To guard againstthe overthrow of the head rearwardly through the operation of the spring-19, a tension spring 20 is employed connected .to the arm-13 and the standard and actlng in the capacity of acushion to retard the movement of the head beyond the desired point in its elevated position.

i The presser head heretofore generally referred to is formed preferably in two sec tions, a head propefn21 and a plate section 22 constituting the pressing surface, and provided with a plurality of apertures 23.

The plate is detachably connected tothe head proper by screws 24 and studs 25 that depend from the head sect-ion, against/which the plate contacts and with which the screws engage, as plainly shown in Fig. 6.

The head described 1s of a configuration corresponding to that of the buckboard. Vithin its upper portion and extending longitudinally thereof is a steam inlet chamber 26, the lower wall of which is provided with a series of apertures 27 that lead within a main steam distributing chamber 28. Extending longitudinally within the latter chamber is a super-heater 29, inthis instance comprising an open-ended cylinder 30 and a burner consisting of an apertured tube/31 extending longitudinally within the cylinder and supported upon a gas conduit .32 leading outwardly through the rear of th head to a suitable source of supply.

33 are vent tubes for the burner leading from the interior of the cylinder outwardly through the forward portion of the head as shown in Fig. 6. a

The heater described is designed to superheat the steam, so that it will be delivered through the head in a dry condition to the garment to be pressed. It also serves as a spreading device for distributing the steam from the supplyequally over the apertured pressing surface. To accomplish this result, the upper portion of the head is made semi-cylindrical in form, and the cylinder 29 is positioned within the head in proximity to the curved wall thereof, as shown in Fig. 6, so that the steam immediately upon discharging from the chamber 26 will strike the heater and remain in proximity thereto for a short period, and subsequently guided by the heater and the walls of the presser head to the several apertures in the pressing surface or plate 22. The plate is preferablythough not necessarily-slightly concaved as shown, and to prevent leakage a packing 34 is interposed between the peripheral or edge portion of the head and the plate, as indicated.

In the operation of the machine, it is necessary, for the protection of the cloth or garment that is to be pressed, to cover the pressing surface of the head with a cloth or some other suitable material, the covering being here indicated .by the numeral 35. To retain this covering in place, a long spiral spring 36 is provided, and I form a groove or channel 37 in the top peripheral portion of the head of a size to receive the spring, the latter being in the form of .an endless ring. a

. The marginal edges of the cloth or covering are turned upwardly over the edge of the head and over the groove described, and

the spring is pressed within the cloth into the groove,-and acts by its tension not only to hold the cloth in place but to stretch the covering tightly over the pressing surface.

The connection between the head proper and its support 7 is in the form of complementary arms 38 and 39 and a transverse tubular member 40, reference being had particularly' to Figs. 2 and 9 of the drawings. A bushing, as 41, is fitted within each end of the tubular member 40, and extends within the tubular bearing 42 formed in the extremities of the fork members of the sup port 7, constituting the journals on which the member '40 turns. The member 40 is provided with complementary openings '43 and 44. The gas conduit- 32 described projects rearwardly of the head within the opening 44 and then transversely through one of the bushings 41. 45 represents the- 'steam conduit communicating with the chamber 26 and projecting similar to the gas conduit to the rear of the head within the opening 43 of the member 40 and outwardly through the remainingbushing4l. These two conduits are adapted to connect, preferably-byswivel joints (not shown), with piping leading to steam and gas supplies.

As steam is only used temporarily in the operation of the machine in the intervals when the head is inoperative relation to the buckboard, I have provided controlling means for the steam supply conduit consisting of a valve of any approved type, as

46, normally seated, provided with a springpressed stem 47 and an operating lever 48 fulcrumed upon an extension 49 upon the valve casing and projecting forwardlybeyond the presser head into position for op- .eration by the operator. I also preferably provide a handle 49 for the head, by which the same may be operated by hand if desired,

or partly by hand and through the agency.

ofthe foot lever previously described.

The horn upon which the buckboard is mounted is also hollow so that steam may be introduced to heat the buckboard during the operation of pressing. It is held upon the top by means of a bolt 50, the head of which engages across bar 51 in the horn, and the shank projects down through an opening formed for that purpose within the top, and is clamped by a nut 52. The bolt as shown is hollow to form a steam inlet, and at its lower end connects with a suitable steam supply pipe 53.

54 is a pet charge of the water of condensation.

To permit of the pressing of garments or cloth of different thickness, the buckboard is adjustable upon't-he supportor table as previously set forth. This adjustment is effected through the agency of a tubular internally-threaded section 55 formed preferably integral with the buckboard, and a bushing 56externally threaded to engage cock for permitting the disthe threaduponthe member 55. The bush mg is formed preferably with openings,- as 57 for engagement by a spanner wrench, the

I adjustment being effected by first loosening the nut 52, then rotating the bushing 56 in a direction to effect the desired adjustment,- and afterward re-clamping the parts by movement of the nut into contact with'the top. I p

The buckboard is detachably' mounted upon the horn, and is held to the latter a bolt 58. .A packing, as 59, is interposed betweenr the board andrthe upper'edges of the horn, as indicated in Fig. 4:, for the purpose of'preventing leakage of steam, and a covering of cloth as 60 is placed over the buckboard and held thereto in the same man- Her as the covering for the presser head by an endless coil spring 61, and a groove 62 within which the margin of thecloth and spring is adapted-to extend;

Where large size garments or large pieces of cloth are to be pressed,- it is desirable to provide a supporting surface in addition to that afforded by the buckboard. I have therefore constructed the pressing machine with what may be termed a supplemental table 63 of considerably greater area than that of the buckboard and. adapted to supplement the latter.

is cut away at its center as at 64, the opening corresponding in configuration to that of the buckboard, so that the table may be -the auxiliary table. Springs .69 are housed within the telescopic posts in the ordinary "manner, for the purpose of automatically throwing the table upwardly relation to the buckboard.

Lockingmeans are provided for holding the table in its operative and inoperative positions, consisting of a weighted transinto operative g verse arm journaled'in the machine standard and carrying a pair of locking dogs 71 of-the construction shown in Fig. .8. These dogs are adapted to engage the upper members 68 of the telescopic posts in such manverse arm is thrown as to hold the table against the tension of its spring in its inoperativeposition, as indicated in full lines in,

Fig. 1, or iniits upper position as indicated .in dotted lines in the same figure, the dog. servingin this latter position to prevent the table fro in usef This table is located beneath the board, 'as shown in Fig. 3, andv being forced downwardly while The operation of the machine will;be obviOusfrom the foregoing description of its construction. Pressure upon the arm 11 of the bell crank will cause the head to contact with the buckboard. During-the operation of pressing, steam is discharged through the under side of the presser head by a proper manipulation of the valve lever 48. Generally, the steam is only allowed to discharge through'the headfor a very brief" period of time, and is automatically out off by releasing the controlling lever. On releasement of the bell crank lever, the head is automaticallythrown to its initial position "in readiness for a second operation. Attention is directed to the fact that while I have shown and described a particular form ofsuper-heating device, which I deem the preferable innse, I do not desire to be limited to this particular construction, as other forms of heating appliances -may be employed accomplishing the sameresult. It is'also notnecessary that the super-heater should form the spreading or distributing means: This is the desirable construction,

however, and produces superior results What I c'lalm as my mventlon 1s,-

' '1. In a garment pressing machine, the

combination with a hollow presser head hav-' ing a fluid-receiving chamber extending lon-- gitudinally thereof, of a casing forming a said fluid-receiving chamber having a plu rality of vent openings positioned longitudinally thereof above the distributing mem ber, said casing being separated from the side walls of said head by a relatively narrow space whereby the fluid is directed in opposite directions, ah apertured pressing surface in the irect path of the fluid, and a gas burner e tirely inclosed within said casing. i

' 2. In a garment pressing machine, the I combination with a hollowpresser head having a fluid-receiving chamber; extending lone gitudinally thereof, of a..fluid-distributing chamber below said receiving-chamber, said last-mentioned chamber. having a plurality of vent openings positioned longitudinally thereof communicating with 'the distributing chamber, a gasburner entirely-inclosedfluid di'stributing member within-said head,'

Within Said head, d a drum alsowithin said head inclosing 1 said gas burner, and 7 stantially flat pressing surface nd a curved" 3. In a garment pressing machine, the x. combination of a hollow head having asub-f i constituting a deflector for the fluld deliv. 12:0 'ered into the distributing chamber.

" ner'according to thepo'sition that the trans top connecting at its sides wit the sides offil'25 said pressing surface,=the said top having a. f

fluid inlet, a cylindrical casingwithin the head, the .curvedsurfaceof whichilatter. constituting with the inner surface of the top a distributing-chamber, a partition within the head above said drum, the partition exdistributingchamber, a partition within the I tending from end to end of the head and having apertures therein, and means for introducing fluid into said head aboveth partition. 4 r

4:. In a garment/pressing machine, the combination of a hollow head having a substantially flat pressing surface and a curved top connecting at its sides with the sides of saidpressing surface, the said top having a fluid inlet, a' cylindrical casing within the head, the curved surface of which latter constituting with the inner surface the top a head above said drum, the partition extending from-end to end of the head and having apertures therein, means for introducing fluid into said head above the partition, and

a burner positioned within the drum and extending'longitudinally of the latter.

the purpose speified. f

5. In a pressing machine, a 'presser head havlng a substantially c -extensive longitudinally extending partition with a series of apertures, an inlet in the head above the partition, a superheating chamber below the partition exte ding substantially from'end to end of the ead and separated fromthe upper wall of he head by a relatively narrow space, sai superheating'chamber constltuting a defle for substant ally as and for 6. Inva pressing machine, the combination of a presser head having a substantially flat apertured pressing surface and a longitudinally extending partition with a series of apertures, an inlet in the head above the partition and a distributing wall substantially coextensive with the head but separated from the side and upper walls of the latter by a relatively narrow space and said distributing wall being arranged below the partition and above the pressing surface.

7. In a pressing machine, the, combination of a presser head having a longitudinally extending partition'with a series of apersuper-heating chamber, and a support pro-- jecting inwardly from the head for the burner, said support constituting an inlet conduit for the burner.

' .In testimony whereof. I afiix in presence of two'witnesses.

HENRY H. BURNS.

my signature l W1tnesses: v

ARTHUR GREENE, -WALTER 'R. MUNN. 

